What Lubok Antu has taught us?
Roy, Poh and Dan rocking these colourful Iban baju burung.
Couple of weeks before Gawai, we made our way to Lubok Antu, our friend Dan’s kampung, in search for a location for another self-initiated video shoot. We departed Kuching early in the morning, and after a three-hour drive, we were welcomed by Aunty Ramayah, Dan’s aunty, standing in front of her modern Iban longhouse.
Aunty Ramayah (middle) served up a feast!
We were immediately ushered to the kitchen where Aunty Ramayah had already prepared a delicious feast - ayam pansuh (chicken cooked in bamboo stalk with tapioca leaves), terung asam soup (sour eggplant), daun ubi (pounded cassava leaves) and the freshest tilapia fish. And of course, a big bowl of rice, harvested not too long ago from their own paddy field.
Next to where we ate stood a row of old, tall jars, also known as “tajau”. We asked Uncle Thomas, Dan’s father, the origin of these jars and also about the dragon motifs on the jars. He explained that these jars actually originated from China, brought over through direct trades between the Chinese and the local communities. These jars was previously a symbol of wealth and status, and now become passed down through generations as family heirlooms.
Curious, we asked if we could open one of them. Aunty Ramayah cheerfully replied, “Of course, open lah!” We carefully lifted the lid... only to find Dan’s nephew’s toy robot inside. 😂
Aunty Ramayah then brought out a century old Pua Kumbu from her closet. And even though the colours have soon faded, every stitch is still in tact, and every motif is still as bright as ever.
Pua, blanket, and Kumbu, a type of weaving.
She also brought out another garment that we have never seen before - neon pink, green, blue and purple threads woven into the traditional fabric. Pua Sungkit.
They say that these may have originated from Kalimantan, which made sense as Lubok Antu sits right at the border with Badau, Indonesia. But then again, we remembered something our friend Juvita once said, and we paraphrase;
For indigenous communities, there are no real borders. Long before national lines were drawn, the indigenous peoples of Borneo - like the Iban, Kayan, and Kenyah moved freely across the land. Rivers, forests, and mountain ranges connected them. Families, stories, and traditions flowed across what we now call borders. A weaving technique or a motif may trace its roots to one place, but its meaning and practice are shared across generations and geography. So while this Pua Sungkit may be from Kalimantan, it also belongs to Lubok Antu, in Sarawak.
Uncle Thomas sharing with us what Gawai celebration truly means.
Before we left, we did a short, meaningful interview with Uncle Thomas. Since Gawai was just around the corner, we asked him what he thought about the festival today, and what are some of the misconceptions around the drinking culture. He shared;
Tuak is a sacred drink.
We used to only drink Tuak during Gawai as it has deep cultural and spiritual meaning.
However these days, people are drinking all kinds of alcohol - tuak, langkau, whiskey, beers.
That’s not our culture.
Gawai isn’t, wasn’t, and never centered around drinking and being drunk.
Gawai should be celebrated the way it is meant to be - with heart, with respect, and with good spirit.
So please, even though Tuak exists within any Gawai celebration, drink moderately, not to get drunk, but to honour the celebration.
Oh, and speaking about Tuak, Aunty Ramayah did served us their Tuak, and let me tell you - it is the sweetest, most delicate Tuak we have ever tasted. It wasn’t until we have returned to Kuching that we found out that the Tuak had been aged for 10 years, and it’s only served on special occassions, to speacial guests. What an honour!
What started as a location scout turned into a lesson on heritage, family, and what it really means to celebrate Gawai. Big thanks to Dan, Aunty Ramayah, and Uncle Thomas for reminding us that some traditions are best kept sacred, and some memories are best kept sweet.
